


Stand by Me

by BabyChocoboAlchemist



Series: The Crownsguard of 7th Heaven [2]
Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Comfort, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Prompto Protection Squad Forever, Soft Brotherhood Spoilers, Soft Episode Prompto Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-29 13:02:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11441439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BabyChocoboAlchemist/pseuds/BabyChocoboAlchemist
Summary: "Tifa, thank you," he began, but found himself unable to say anything else because a pair of lips were pressed against his in a kiss that ripped the air from his lungs, seizing a body that had never experienced such contact before in electric shock.(The 7th Heaven crew just rescued their photo-taking baby bird from Ardyn, Professor Hojo and Professor Verstael, but the wounds are many. Tifa lets Prompto know how she feels about their friendship in the wake of his abduction. Prompto lets her know how he feels about her, blending the past, present and future into one brilliantly bright force.)





	Stand by Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [otaku_girl424](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=otaku_girl424).



> Otherwise known as 'BabyChocoboAlchemist Ships Something Other than M/M'. That's right, ladies and gentlemen: I ship the baby bird with Tifa Lockhart, having been in love with her ever since I watched my oldest sister play Final Fantasy VII. Ever since the two of us watched Advent Children together, right before she moved out of our family home and went to college. Tifa's also one of my favorite Dissidia characters. And so, with her Advent Children outfit in mind (because she's a knock-out in it), I wrote this piece. 
> 
> I originally had Prompto taking a much more submissive role, with him originally planned to just tell her 'it's okay, please don't worry about me', but having Robbie Daymond's voice in mind compelled me to give him more of a fiery spirit. More of the fiery spirit he shows in the XV universe. :) Baby bird is a strong snowflake.
> 
> Thank you for being here. I mean that, from the bottom of my little heart.

_He was a shimmering beat of incandescence, reflecting the afternoon's unfolding light. He had barely returned from Hell and was still bleeding in a dozen places, all of his wounds open, gaping chasms, but he stood a few feet in front of her with a smile. Trying to smile as though the nightmare had never happened, reaching out as though he had never been forced to peer into the eyes of Hades. Hope was a bright beacon in blue eyes that had seen far too much pain, just as effervescent as the light spilling through the airship's windows._

_She was a volcano ready to burst, wrath swelling inside of her. He was reaching out to her with a smile of meteoric warmth, sharing his fondest wishes while holding out a ticket to the Gold Saucer, but all of his words were incomprehensible blurs. What had happened at the Battle Square was still fresh in her mind, reminding her of how helpless she was. Reminding him of how she had promised to keep him safe, but allowed him to slip into Hell's clutches. He had come so close to being broken but was right in front of her, smiling, telling her things she didn't deserve to hear._

_Somehow, his last words to her made it through. He had just invited her to a night at the Gold Saucer, ticket extended towards her with a nervous yet hopeful smile. He was the picture of shyness, awkward and eager, still innocent after a run-in with so much pain. He stood with hope lighting up his eyes, waiting for her answer as though her answer would determine the fate of the universe. And she should've protected that innocence, should've kept it safe like she promised. Instead, she-_

_She approached him, trying to smile but finding it harder to do so. An enormous, nauseating wave of pain seized her body once they were face to face. He kept on smiling but was afraid of having his heart broken, looking at her as though a night at the Gold Saucer would be the greatest dream come true, and she had failed him. Failed after making so many promises. Failed him after he had done absolutely nothing to hurt her._

_She cupped his face, fingers brushing his freckles. A volcanic eruption of shyness went off in blue eyes that had been hurt far too much. She kissed his forehead, his cheeks, then the bridge of his nose, holding the kisses long enough for his heartbeat to exceed the speed of sound. "You'd better ask someone else, sweet pea," she told him, the smile on her face rapidly crumbling. His smile crumbled instantly, telling her to hurry it up, to get away from him as quickly as she could._

_"You won't have any fun with me. Ask someone that will show you a good time."_

_She bolted off into the Highwind's darkness, hiding her face in her hands, seized by sickening waves of shame. She knew what she had done but couldn't look back._

_Five more minutes passed before she threw herself upon her bed, sobbing._

\------------------------------------

She knew what she was doing. Knew she was making him worry, when she didn't have the right to put another burden on his shoulders. Not after suffering so much. But she knew she couldn't look back, knew she couldn't join him in a world of glittering lights and evening bliss. She and her friends had set foot into a place that promised to erase all cares, offering a mosaic of games and shows, and she had fallen into another one of Yuffie's carefully laid traps. She had turned down Prompto's invitation to the Saucer, not wanting to ruin his night-but the fates laughed that wish off. The others walked through the Saucer's gates in pairs, their shoulders also heavy with the weight of a thousand worlds, and she could only hope the night was kinder to them.

She knew what she was doing, but couldn't look back. Knew she had to put distance between herself and the lights, the music, the sights, sounds and fragrances of jubilance he had every right to enjoy. She knew what she was doing but continued to run, arms pumping, heart pumping with her spirit lit on fire. He was calling after her and she knew the look on his face was one of pain, hurt and confusion, but there had to be greater distance put between the two of them.

She couldn't look back because it was always the same. Her parents, Cloud, Prompto-it was always the same, her failing the ones she cared about. Her failing the lives she cared about far more than the breath flowing through her body. And if she allowed it to happen once, what would prevent her from allowing it to happen again? She hadn't grown any stronger-only weaker as the hours passed. Far more eager to please but never able to give weight to any of her noble vows. So she ran because she couldn't go back, not after what had been allowed to happen. Not after letting him slip right through her fingers. Couldn't go back because he trusted her, believed in her, after she had left him fall into the bowels of Hell. Couldn't. Couldn't go back. Couldn't-

She whirled around, forced by the hand that had seized her. Her brown eyes, alive with fear and shame, met blue eyes radiant with heartache. His eyes burned through her, still so gentle and kind but alive with anger and frustration. None of that anger was directed at her and she knew it. He always channeled such viciousness at himself, never giving himself a chance to breathe-not even after being dragged through Hades' flames by the wrists. "Talk to me, please," he pleaded, softening his grip on her arm. Everything within her ordered her to bolt but she was transfixed, trapped by the sadness soaring through his eyes.

"Please, please don't go. Please! Being anywhere near me hurts you and I...I don't want it like this! Please, please stay!"

He bowed his head, eyes wielding a galaxy of hurt. "I know it's not because I freak you out," he chuckled, stepping closer and closer to the truths that had been revealed in Professor Hojo's laboratory. She stiffened, venom infused into her veins, a part of her wanting to rip the flesh off his bones for even thinking of anything that bastard had said, the other part of her wanting to listen, wanting him to feel comfortable enough to reach out to her. 

"I know that's not it, because...because you've always been so kind and amazing to me. But if I'm wrong-"

Tifa's eyes flashed with ferocity that rivaled Ifrit's loudest roar. "You aren't," she snarled, tearing her arm out of his grip, backing away from him with a world of hurt and fury in her brown eyes. "You aren't the disgusting one. You're nowhere near disgusting. _I'm_ the one that's disgusting."

Prompto opened his mouth to protest, but she cut through his protest with words formed into a shaft of fury. "Don't you get it?" she shouted, tears rising, protesting against the unwavering kindness he had shown everyone. Protesting how he apparently found it impossible to hate her, to even resent her a little. Just a little. But he couldn't even do that. Couldn't even lose a bit of trust in her. Even after everything that had happened. "I can't protect you," she went on, not only to the photographer but to herself, the words raw, bleeding, on fire with sorrow. Wrath.

"It's always the same damn thing-I have people I care about and let them slip right through my damn fingers. I told you I'd keep you safe but did I? Oh no. Not at all! If my promise had been any good, you wouldn't have been swept off Ardyn or Professor Hojo or that filthy bastard that has the fucking nerve to call himself your father!"

Tifa bowed her head, hands balled into the tightest fists. Her voice was a trembling, tear-stained growl as she went on. "There you have it. I can barely look at you because you remind me of what I failed to protect. You remind me of kindness and warmth and beauty and I failed to protect that. I failed to protect _you._ How can I be anywhere near you when I can't stand to be anywhere near _myself?"_

She sighed, her body crumbling underneath the weight of so many tears. "I'm sorry," she told him, lifting her head with a smile, tears capturing the night's glow. "Yuffie was only trying to help. I know that. But you still should've brought someone else. I shouldn't be here with you. I don't deserve this."

With every part of her suddenly feeling heavier than the airship, she turned her back on him. She could no longer run but knew he wouldn't follow her. Their night came to an end before it even began, brrought to a screeching halt by her words. She knew what she had done, knew the hurt she had caused, but she couldn't look back. Couldn't-

Stop dead in her tracks.

His voice had frozen her yet again. She had only taken a few steps before stopping, heart racing, mind scrambling to figure out why he still saw fit to speak to her. There was still that ethereal tenderness to his voice, and even though it was stained with tears, it was as strong as it had ever been. Still as warm as it had ever been-and she didn't even deserve to have him tell her what time it was. She didn't turn back around to face him but listened, heart racing, the remnants of her spirit screaming. "Y'know, once upon a time, in a land far, far away," he chuckled, tears spilling, eyes smiling.

"I was all alone. Didn't have any friends. Didn't have any parents, really. I was a shy tub of lard that always thought he'd be alone. But then I started high school and Noct became my very first friend. My roommate, too. Noct and I found part-time jobs at a café near our apartment, and that's how we met Ignis. I bet you probably remember how we met Gladio," Prompto laughed gently, referring to their first collision with the gladiator that eventually resigned from the TURKs to join their team. That was a chocobo of an entirely different color, as Cid would've said.

"And then, of course, I met all of you. I know we're fighting the biggest, baddest guys around, but it's been fun. A lot of fun, actually. Never thought I'd have so much fun with the greatest friends a guy could ask for. I mean, I'd rather spend my life escaping the jaws of death than being all alone, sitting at home with no one to talk to. So yeah, parts of this adventure have been really scary. The parts I just got out of were really, _really_ scary. But you know what? I wasn't alone. I was scared, but I wasn't _alone._ I had Cid and Cloud, Noctis, Ignis and Gladio, Yuffie and Red-and _you._ The friends I spent an entire lifetime waiting for. Whenever things got tough, I just thought of all of you-and I knew it would be okay. I knew _I'd_ be okay."

Prompto made a sound halfway between a sob and a laugh. "I once told Noct thought I never thought anyone would fall in love with me. Never thought anyone in their right mind would want to be with something like me. But I have you and because I have you, I have _hope._ Because of the way you treat me, the way you smile at me and share things with me, I have hope. I mean, look at what's happening. You just found out everything about me. You know what I am. But you're not afraid of me. You don't care about any of that. You're angry and sad and hurt because you wanted to protect me. I don't want you torturing yourself over me, but that's just really, really cool on so many levels. I mean, us guys are supposed to protect girls, right? But you've got to be the most bad-ass girl I know. And you're always so _awesome_ to me. I wanna just hug you and tell you to stop beating yourself up over me, but...I can't get over how _amazing_ this is. How amazing _you_ are. If I were to go back in time and tell myself to 'hang in there because you're gonna make tons of cool new friends and meet this really beautiful, really amazing girl' I'd probably die from a heart attack. Guess that wouldn't be that cool, though, because if I went back in time and killed myself there would be this crazy time paradox and I'd never be able to see you guys again."

He laughed and smiled like an actor trying to cover up a mistake made during the middle of a performance. "Anyways, I don't wanna force you to be here," Prompto told her, his voice tearful, warm, infinitely warm and happy. "I'm gonna walk you back to the Highwind, okay? And maybe, when you're feeling better, we can come back. Later. On a real da-um...on another night. Yeah. Another night. It'll be my way of proving to you that you _haven't_ let me down. That you've done nothing but lift me up. That just thinking about you makes me really happy. And that, I think, is tons stronger than anything those guys back there put me through."

She remained still, silent with her back turned on him. When he found his voice again she began to walk back towards him, with him assuming that she was ready to officially end the night. "Tifa, thank you," he began, but found himself unable to say anything else because a pair of lips were pressed against his in a kiss that ripped the air from his lungs, seizing a body that had never experienced such contact before in electric shock. The kiss went beyond his breaking point, violently infusing his body with air and life as though he had spent every second of his existence underwater.

Prompto and Tifa returned to their rooms aboard the Highwind and remained there for the rest of the evening.


End file.
